Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus · Courses
GEOS
40 courses with the subject GEOS, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
Cannot take if already received credit for GEOS 111.
Corequisite
None Restriction: No Earth and Environmental Science majors/minors. Description: Examines the constant changes that affect the rocky surface of our planet, from volcanic eruptions and catastrophic earthquakes to the slow drift of continents and passage of ice ages. Cross-Listed: No
None Restriction: No Earth and Environmental Science majors/minors or Geology minors. Description: Examines the history of time; the reasons for the seasons; the characteristics of the planets, moons, stars, and galaxies; and the history and future of space exploration.
May not be taken after successfully completing GEOS 101
Corequisite
None Restriction: None Description: Examines environmental science from an Earth systems science perspective. Introduces the interactions between various systems that make up the Earth’s critical zone (the near-surface interface between humans and our planet’s atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere). Explores spatial and temporal variation of environmental processes through the use of hands-on data collection, manipulation and modeling. Cross-Listed: No
None Restriction: No Earth and Environmental Science majors/minors. Description: Explores the science behind natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides, floods and volcanic eruptions. Investigates the geologic processes that impact the surface of the Earth and endanger human lives. Recognizes known risk factors, minimizing vulnerability to disasters, and weighs the consequences to society of living in disaster-prone regions. Cross-Listed: No
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: Introduces students to the geological processes that shape the earth’s surface, from uplift and erosion of mountains to the transport of sediment and subsequent formation of sedimentary rocks. Focuses on the interaction of underlying tectonic forces with the natural cycles of the earth’s atmosphere and hydrosphere and the subsequent evolution of both landscape and surface deposits.
none Restriction: none Description: Introduces crystallography, crystal chemistry, optical properties and phase equilibria of minerals pertinent to geology, Earth resources and technology. Introduces the origins of igneous and metamorphic rocks based on a plate tectonic framework emphasizing melting and crystallization processes as well as metamorphic reactions. Laboratory exercises will focus on mineral and rock identification and interpretation as well as quantitative techniques such as x-ray diffractometry and optical microscopy.
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: Principles and techniques of field geology with an emphasis on developing field skills using a Brunton compass, topographic maps, Jacobs staff, stereographic projections, field computers, and the global positioning system. Field projects involve techniques of field
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 203 Description: The study of human interactions with the earth from a geological perspective. An emphasis is placed on the scientific concepts necessary to understand these interactions, including groundwater flow, soil formation and destruction, waste disposal, geologic hazards, stream hydrology, climate change, and natural resources. Contemporary environmental issues are explored through primary scientific literature and news media. Includes field trips that may occur on weekends.
Grades of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: An overview of groundwater geology, including flow equations, aquifer flow equation, aquifer parameter testing, groundwater sampling techniques, and remediation of groundwater pollution. Labs emphasize graphical and analytical solutions as well as computer modeling of groundwater flow systems. (Also offered as EVEN 312 . These courses may be substituted for each other and be used interchangeably for D/F repeats but may not be counted for duplicate credit.)
PHYS 111 , MATH 121 , grade of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: An introduction to physics of the surface and interior of the solid earth, including earthquakes, propagation of earthquake waves, gravity field and interior structure, magnetic field and magnetic reversals, heat flow, geodesy, and tides. Techniques used for applied geophysical surveys are also examined.
MATH 121 , PHYS 111 or instructor permission Description: Materials, motions, and evolution of the solar system, with an emphasis on observational methods, mechanics, spatial relationships, geology, and origin of the solar system.
MATH 121 , PHYS 111 or instructor permission Description: Evolution and nature of objects in the universe, including the Sun, stars, and galaxies. A study of methods for gathering astronomical data on motion, distance, and composition.
none Restriction: none Description: Introduces sediments and sedimentary rocks with emphasis on reconstruction of their origin, specifically depositional and post-burial history, from properties observed in outcrops, hand-specimens, and thin sections. Includes an introduction to the concepts and methods applied in defining and establishing the spatial and temporal relationships of stratigraphic units—the material packages of sediment/rock and the intervals of time that are derived from them. Includes field trips that may occur on weekends.
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: An introduction to the study of prehistoric life, the process and products of organic evolution, and the utility of fossils as tools for solving geological and paleobiological problems. Includes field trips that may occur on weekends.
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 301 Description: A study of sediments and sedimentary rocks with emphasis on reconstruction of their origin, specifically depositional and post-burial history, from properties observed in outcrops, hand-specimens, and thin sections.
GEOS 203 , geoscience majors/minors, and earth and space science education majors/minors, or instructor permission Description: The study of the origin and evolution of coastal environments from a geological perspective. Emphasis is placed on the quantitative investigation of the dominant processes (waves, tides, and currents) that create and modify these environments, as well as the role of human-induced change. Contemporary issues in coastal geology are explored through primary scientific literature, news media, and laboratory exercises. Includes field trips that may occur on weekends.
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: Introduction to formal theory of plate tectonics. Topics include magnetic anomalies, first motion studies, thermal structures of the plates, kinematics, crustal generation, sea floor spreading, collision, and subduction deformation.
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: An introduction to physical, chemical, geological, and biological nature of the ocean: bathymetry, submarine geology, and sedimentary deposits. Includes field trip(s) that may occur on weekend(s).
Grade of “C” or better in GEOS 200 Description: An introduction to meteorological sciences; composition and structure of the atmosphere; radiation principles; elementary thermodynamics and heat balance.
Grades of “C” or better in GEOS 200 ; instructor permission required Description: A seminar introduction to the geology of the American Southwest. Includes examination of Colorado Plateau stratigraphy, Basin and Range tectonism, and volcanic events in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Prepares students specifically for GEOS 406 .
GEOS 405 ; instructor permission required Description: A field study of the major geologic features and relationships exposed in the American Southwest, including the Colorado Plateau, the Rio Grande Rift, Death Valley, and parts of the eastern Sierra Nevada in California. (Three weeks, taught in the summer only.)
Grades of “C” or better in GEOS 200 ; instructor permission required Description: A seminar introduction to the geological environment and history of the carbonate rocks and sediments found in Florida. Includes instruction in the techniques of field analysis and geologic interpretation. Prepares students specifically for GEOS 408 .
75cr or instructor permission Description: Exposes students to the methods of research in the geosciences by working on a project of their choosing. Students begin their capstone research by planning and initiating a project of their choosing. Working with a faculty advisor, students define a problem, do the background research to discover what is already known about it, propose several working hypotheses to solve it, and then present their capstone research proposal along with a review of the relevant scientific literature.
none Restriction: none Description: Enables completion of a capstone research project and preparation of a professional poster and oral presentation to effectively communicate the research findings to an audience of faculty, alumni, and peers.
As appropriate to course content Description: The department’s intention is to use this course to schedule extended field trips and for teaching special courses that utilize the specialties of the Geoscience faculty.
